Both Group winners join the 14 Champs clubs in a straight knockout last 16. Hence the importance of the tables.....

London Skolars and North Wales each have a huge points difference advantage over South Wales and Oldham respectively. It would require extraordinary results for either of the top teams to be overtaken.

London Skolars and North Wales each have a huge points difference advantage over South Wales and Oldham respectively. It would require extraordinary results for either of the top teams to be overtaken.

Gateshead Thunder v Gloucestershire All Golds (3.00pm)Jacob Blades and Chris Parker will both be assessed on Friday after the Gateshead Thunder pair suffered ankle injuries at Oldham.However, Joe Brown could return after coming through Tuesday’s training session unscathed.Thunder coach Kevin Neighbour is still aiming for his first win of the season, but believes last week’s 34-16 loss against Oldham was a positive step forward.Neighbour said: “It was a game I believed we could have won, but we performed significantly better in the second half. We just weren’t able to cope with the conditions in the first half.”He added: “We improved from the game before, and we hope to do the same again this week.“I watched the All Golds when the played Northumbria University, I’ve seen the highlights from their game against Hemel, and I’m sure they’ll have improved even further.“They’ll be well organised and they’ve quite a few decent players in their squad.”Gloucestershire All Golds are searching for their first win in the semi-professional ranks, but coach Brad Hepi was impressed by his side in last week’s 20-0 loss at London Skolars.

Hemel Stags v North Wales Crusaders (3.00pm)Chad Sharpe (knee) is unavailable for Hemel Stags while Barry-John Swindells (broken foot) faces several weeks on the sidelines.The Stags lost 22-20 against South Wales Scorpions last week. Coach Troy Perkins said: “We were a little bit unlucky and we shouldn’t have lost.“If anyone had said during pre-season that we’d be right in the game with London Skolars and be we’d be ahead against South Wales and just get pipped, I’d have taken that. We’re heading in the right direction.”North Wales Crusaders coach Clive Griffiths is aiming to complete a 100 per cent record in the Northern Rail Cup group stages, having already secured three wins this year.However, the experienced Welshman insists his side will not be underestimating Hemel’s strength.Griffiths said: “We’re full of respect for them. There’ll be no complacency and no taking it lightly from us. We’re not taking anything for granted.”Victory for the Crusaders would give them a berth in the inaugural Northern Rail Bowl final.“If we do get to the final, it’ll be one of my best ever moments in rugby league, because 16 months ago there was no North Wales Crusaders and yet here we are on the brink of a major final.”

Rochdale Hornets v London Skolars (3.00pm)Wayne English (eye) is a major doubt for Rochdale Hornets, who will also check on other members of their squad before coach Ian Talbot determines his team to face London Skolars.Hornets have only one win from their three Northern Rail Cup fixtures this year after last week’s 30-16 defeat against North Wales Crusaders.Talbot said: “Our completion rate was a big factor, but we also didn’t get our fair share of the calls.”Now Talbot is focused on London, who have a 100 per cent record this season having won against Hemel, Gloucestershire All Golds and South Wales Scorpions.Talbot said: “There’s been some massive improvements in the quality of rugby played by the London sides over recent years, and they’ll be a big test for us.“It’s an opportunity for me to play one or two players who haven’t played yet, but I also need to find the happy balance because we want to go into the league with a win behind us.”Jordan Case could come back into contention for Rochdale, while Skolars coach Joe Mbu is preparing his side for a fierce test.Mbu said: “We’ll need to raise our game. Hopefully we’ll go there and do ourselves justice, because for the last two years our trips to Rochdale have not been easy.”

South Wales Scorpions v Oldham (3.00pm)South Wales Scorpions coach Dave Clark is set to name an unchanged side for Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup visit of Oldham.Clark said: “We’re starting to build some momentum and I was quite happy with our defence last week. We’re really working hard on that aspect of the game.”He added: “This week we’re playing against a side that will be in the top three or four at the end of the season. Physically it’ll be a challenge, but we’re starting to adapt to that and this will give us a bit of a benchmark.”Oldham coach Scott Naylor may tinker with his squad in a bid to keep players fresh, but has no new injury concerns ahead of a long trip south.Naylor said: “The furthest we’ve been this year is Wrexham, and we didn’t come out of that game too well, but it wasn’t the travel that did us on the day.“The lads have to get used to it because it’s a fact of this season more than ever that clubs have got to travel big distances.“Hopefully when you get there the lads are switched on. At the end of the day we’re going there to play a game of rugby and the lads are professional enough to know it’s all about the game.”-ends-

Hannah MolloyMedia Assistant

Edited by Honor James, 21 March 2013 - 05:09 PM.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

I will be at Hemel - weather permitting. Just hope that if it is called off, it is called off early, because I will have to leave home at 8.45am. I hope Crusaders win the game but Hemel full back Mike Forgham scores one of his spectacular length of the field tries!

I will be at Hemel - weather permitting. Just hope that if it is called off, it is called off early, because I will have to leave home at 8.45am. I hope Crusaders win the game but Hemel full back Mike Forgham scores one of his spectacular length of the field tries!

I was thinking about the different nature of the crowds the other day. I think people in the outposts have often fallen in love with the sport itself while many fans of the traditional clubs are first and foremost blinkered followers of that one particular outfit. There isnt that same kneejerk reaction to decry everything as being rubbish and not as good as back in the good old days. The "gerrem onside ref" one does my head in.Once fine, twice no problem but on and on and on and on - I cant remember which Cumbrian club it was last season - one of the W's - at the Skolars but there was a bloke who hollered that at least 50 times. I felt like going over and stuffing his programme in his mouth

Many years ago there was a guy called Trevor (?) Rabbitt who from memory played at scrum half for Salford.One afternoon against Oldham (my team) at each scrum he steadfastly refused to go behind his pack of forwards when the ball had been fed into the scrum, as required by the rules.This led to a frustrated Oldham supporter (not me) for the whole of the game exhorting the referee to "Make that Rabbitt retire".It was funny at the time.....no ?......you had to be there.

I was thinking about the different nature of the crowds the other day. I think people in the outposts have often fallen in love with the sport itself while many fans of the traditional clubs are first and foremost blinkered followers of that one particular outfit. There isnt that same kneejerk reaction to decry everything as being rubbish and not as good as back in the good old days. The "gerrem onside ref" one does my head in.Once fine, twice no problem but on and on and on and on - I cant remember which Cumbrian club it was last season - one of the W's - at the Skolars but there was a bloke who hollered that at least 50 times. I felt like going over and stuffing his programme in his mouth

A few weeks ago I was sitting behind the posts for the wire- saints game and the guy next to me produced a continual litany of forward, get them onside and holding down. I was particularly impressed with his keen observational skils when Saints were camped near the Warrington line at the far end of the ground and he was able to deduce that the ball had been passed forward!

Maybe new supporters are not use to the standards dropping. These days there appears to be a lot more forward passes going on & knock ons being ignored.
People say its the mementom rule & allowing a more free flowing game, but to me it's allowing the basic skill level to drop, with pl ayers not being able to hold the ball or pass it backwards, it's allowing for sloppiness.

But yes there is still of a lot of ranting of supporters calling for non existent forward pass or offside.

thanks saintslass nice comments about thunder i hope we beat gloucester all golds today, were improving each game 34-16 defeat at oldham last time out and we played really well 2nd half, we will surprise a few this season roll on 1st league game for us away at hemel 14th april cmon thunder! cmon thunder!!

ThunderArmy, Did the club recieve the programmes for the North Wales game from the printers? They didn't have any at the game and I was told they would get them on the Monday, and to e-mail the club if I wanted one. I did, but I didn't get a reply!

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."
Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

"It involves matters much greater than drafting the new rules...the original and existing games have their own powerful appeal to their players and public and have the sentiments which history inspires"
Harold 'Jersey' Flegg 1933